Diri Forced Bayelsans To Sell Their Conscience For Money – LP’s Eradiri

The recently conducted survey, according to Udengs Eradiri, the Labour Party’s (LP) candidate for governor of Bayelsa State this Saturday, is the most heavily funded in the nation’s history.

During a press conference held on Tuesday at his campaign headquarters in the state capital of Yenogoa, Eradiri charged Governor Douye Diri of embezzling money from the state coffers and using it to buy votes.

Eradiri compared the conduct of the exercise to a market square or business hub where commodities are auctioned, bargained for, and acquired. He claimed that the election was done against the established protocols and ground norms that democratic elections should follow.

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He said, “Our state resources were used to intimidate our traumatised people, who have been impoverished by this government. This government deliberately weaponised poverty and forced the people to sell their conscience for money at the polls.

“I consider vote-buying a crime against humanity. I cannot engage in vote-buying because it is a demonstration of a lack of performance, unpopularity, incompetence and leadership failure. I have always emphasised its incompetence. I am shocked at the level it took the malfeasance to.

“The state government has added another record to its bag of incompetent achievements, making the November 11 Bayelsa election the most monetised poll in the history of the country.

“I contested this election to prove a point that this incompetence in Bayelsa can be challenged. I contested to solve the problems of lack of potable water, dearth of infrastructure, ravaging poverty and rot in the educational sector.”

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Eradiri also criticised the purported vote-buying that took place at polling places during the election in cooperation with INEC representatives and security personnel.

On the other hand, the LP demanded that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) look into every electoral official who took part in the election and purchased votes.

“They have to be probed. I wonder why INEC cannot enforce its rules to ensure credible elections in the country. There was intimidation and harassment of voters, violence, bypass of BVAS, among other irregularities, which vitiated whatever results they announced at the collation centre,” he said.

Eradiri proclaimed himself the election’s victor, stating that he received the greatest number of legitimate ballots from qualified voters.

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He praised the Bayelsans who refused to submit to alleged threats and bribes in order to vote for him, saying that they were the true election heroes and that their votes were genuine and legitimate.

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